Grieving parents seeks justice
Baby daughter died two months after difficult birth
The grieving parents claim that negligence by medical staff at Oshakati State Hospital during the baby's delivery resulted in their daughter's subsequent health problems and death.
Roman Joachim was inconsolable as she laid her baby girl to rest at Ongwediva cemetery in Oshana Region on Saturday.
The 36-year-old mother lost her two-month-old baby, Suama Ingashipola Ndafenongo, this month.
Suama died from cardiopulmonary arrest and severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
Suama’s parents claim that negligence by medical staff at the Oshakati State Hospital during the baby’s delivery resulted in their daughter’s subsequent health problems and death.
The baby was born on 18 September weighing 4.2 kg.
Seeking justice
Joachim and her husband, Jacob Ndafenongo, are asking the public for support and are appealing to human rights lawyers to provide legal assistance to demand answers from the health ministry.
On Saturday, shortly after her daughter's burial, Namibian Sun spoke with Joachim about her ordeal.
She could barely speak, but she was adamant that her story be heard.
"I want the whole nation to help me to find justice for myself and for my baby," Joachim recited over and over.
On 17 September, when she left home for Oshakati hospital, Joachim said she had no idea what lay ahead due to what she termed "a result of neglect at childbirth" by the hospital.
Reported
Prior to Ndafenongo’s death, she wrote a letter titled ‘Complaint of neglected patient at Oshakati hospital’, addressed to the Namibia Health Council, dated 31 October.
In her letter, Joachim said on 17 September, at around 12:30, she went to the hospital’s maternity ward after she began spotting at home.
She said at 14:10 she was assisted, and nurses informed her they would check on her again at 18:10. "Shortly after, the labour pains began," Joachim said.
"I had been in labour pain for the whole night in the observation room. I told the nurses that they must talk to the doctor on call to help me get to theatre since I can no longer take the pain and I don’t have energy," she said.
Joachim claims she was informed a theatre was not necessary.
Joachim claims that on Sunday at 7:47, the medical officer did a sonar for her and informed her that the baby weighed 3.2 kg and she would be able to deliver naturally.
Difficult birth
"I begged her on my knees to take me to the theater, and she told me that there is a protocol to follow for the patient to go to the theater. I went back to the observation room, and after 40 minutes, the nurse reviewed me and said the baby is coming. We went to the labour room, and I was pushing for over an hour. The baby came out at 09:55. My baby came out in a critical condition," Joachim said, due to the difficulty of the birth.
She said her baby was diagnosed with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and did not wake up between her birth and death.
"She clearly knows the consequences of pushing a big baby. She should have said she cannot help me and I get help from other hospitals. I did not have a difficult pregnancy, and the nurses can confirm this. I was not told there was anything wrong with my baby during pregnancy," Joachim said, adding that as a result of the birth, she sustained dislocated pelvic bones and has been using a walking frame since birth.
Response
Oshakati Hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Ruben Kanime, confirmed that he is aware of the incident but said the hospital could not comment on the matter and referred the matter to the ministry of health's public relations officer. Health spokesperson Maria Magano promised to give feedback by Tuesday, saying the hospital needs to provide them with a report.
[email protected]
The 36-year-old mother lost her two-month-old baby, Suama Ingashipola Ndafenongo, this month.
Suama died from cardiopulmonary arrest and severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.
Suama’s parents claim that negligence by medical staff at the Oshakati State Hospital during the baby’s delivery resulted in their daughter’s subsequent health problems and death.
The baby was born on 18 September weighing 4.2 kg.
Seeking justice
Joachim and her husband, Jacob Ndafenongo, are asking the public for support and are appealing to human rights lawyers to provide legal assistance to demand answers from the health ministry.
On Saturday, shortly after her daughter's burial, Namibian Sun spoke with Joachim about her ordeal.
She could barely speak, but she was adamant that her story be heard.
"I want the whole nation to help me to find justice for myself and for my baby," Joachim recited over and over.
On 17 September, when she left home for Oshakati hospital, Joachim said she had no idea what lay ahead due to what she termed "a result of neglect at childbirth" by the hospital.
Reported
Prior to Ndafenongo’s death, she wrote a letter titled ‘Complaint of neglected patient at Oshakati hospital’, addressed to the Namibia Health Council, dated 31 October.
In her letter, Joachim said on 17 September, at around 12:30, she went to the hospital’s maternity ward after she began spotting at home.
She said at 14:10 she was assisted, and nurses informed her they would check on her again at 18:10. "Shortly after, the labour pains began," Joachim said.
"I had been in labour pain for the whole night in the observation room. I told the nurses that they must talk to the doctor on call to help me get to theatre since I can no longer take the pain and I don’t have energy," she said.
Joachim claims she was informed a theatre was not necessary.
Joachim claims that on Sunday at 7:47, the medical officer did a sonar for her and informed her that the baby weighed 3.2 kg and she would be able to deliver naturally.
Difficult birth
"I begged her on my knees to take me to the theater, and she told me that there is a protocol to follow for the patient to go to the theater. I went back to the observation room, and after 40 minutes, the nurse reviewed me and said the baby is coming. We went to the labour room, and I was pushing for over an hour. The baby came out at 09:55. My baby came out in a critical condition," Joachim said, due to the difficulty of the birth.
She said her baby was diagnosed with severe hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and did not wake up between her birth and death.
"She clearly knows the consequences of pushing a big baby. She should have said she cannot help me and I get help from other hospitals. I did not have a difficult pregnancy, and the nurses can confirm this. I was not told there was anything wrong with my baby during pregnancy," Joachim said, adding that as a result of the birth, she sustained dislocated pelvic bones and has been using a walking frame since birth.
Response
Oshakati Hospital's medical superintendent, Dr Ruben Kanime, confirmed that he is aware of the incident but said the hospital could not comment on the matter and referred the matter to the ministry of health's public relations officer. Health spokesperson Maria Magano promised to give feedback by Tuesday, saying the hospital needs to provide them with a report.
[email protected]
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